Exam Day
by krashkart
Summary: Harper and Trance have some exams to pass. Otherwise they and Beka will be learning what it's like to be mudfeet. - An Alternity Universe story.


_A/N: for ilexx on her birthday._

_Time: CY 10086 - AD Sept 5163_

_Location: Zempf Drift_

"I have great news, bad news and good news," said Beka as she sat down at the common room table where Trance and Harper were finishing lunch. She had a large satchel in her hand, which she placed on the deck as she sat down.

"What's the great news, Beka?" asked Trance

Beka reached across the table to snatch a roll from Harper's plate. "The great news is that the police have finished investigating the shoot out I was involved in at the Goulash cafe. I've been completely cleared of any wrongdoing. There were several witness who verified my statement that I didn't draw my weapon until the shooting started, and that I didn't shoot until one of the bounty hunters threw that grenade. The police seem to feel that anyone who throws grenades in crowded restaurants deserves to be shot."

"That's wonderful," said Trance as she took the remaining roll from Harper's plate.

"What's the bad news, Boss?" asked Harper as he retrieved his roll from Trance's plate.

"The bad news," said Beka "is that The Maru's triennial safety exam is coming up in six months. The Maru will have to be certified safe to operate if we want to land or take off from any FTA subsidized spaceport."

"And...," said Harper, keeping a hand on his remaining roll

"And, according to the new FTA regulations a class C freighter like the Maru now needs to have an emergency medical technician certified to at least journeyman level, as well as a certified master pilot and a journeyman or master level engineer certified for class C power plants. Last inspection Bobby was my engineer and we weren't required to have a medic, but this time is different. It also means that if we don't have them at the time of the inspection the Maru will be grounded until we do."

"Then what's the good news?" asked Harper.

Beka reached into the satchel and retrieved some flexies, which she handed to her crew members. "The good news is I was able to obtain copies of the study guides that cover the material you'll need to know for the written portion of the certification exams the two of you'll be taking. There are practical portions to the exams too. Just keeping the Maru operating will give you plenty of practice for yours, Harper. Trance, if Harper keeps on losing bar fights you'll get plenty of practice for your practical."

"Do put your best efforts into studying the material," said Rev who had just walked into the common room. "I for one have no desire to be what Beka calls a mudfoot while we wait for the two of you to pass your exams."

_Time: CY 10086 - AD Dec 5163_

_Location: Blackwells World spaceport_

"That bad, huh?" said Beka when Trance and Harper returned from the testing center. Both of them looked like they were returning from running a marathon rather than taking a test.

"It was horrible, Beka," wailed Trance, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "As soon as I sat down at the testing booth it was like I forgot everything I ever knew about medicine. I even forgot the average body temperature of a human."

"It was ugly, Boss" joined in Harper, "it was like someone replaced my brain with a vacuum as soon as I looked at the test screen." Other than the lack of tears he looked as distraught as Trance.

"I'm surprised" said Beka. She handed Trance a piece of tissue so she could wipe her eyes. "You've both been scoring near perfect on the practice exams. Maybe the problem was you were so worried about passing the test that your brains froze up. That, and the fact that you've been practicing here on the Maru, and you took the test in a test center. We've still got a few months to go before the safety exam. I'm going to have Rev teach you some relaxation techniques you can use when you get into the exam room. We're also scheduled to take a cargo to Holyoke. They have a test center there. I'll make arrangements for you to take practice exams there. That will give you some practice taking the test in an exam center.

"Do you really think that will help?" asked Trance as she wiped her eyes.

"It helped me after I flunked my first pilot's certification exam," said Beka trying to sound reassuring. "But there's one other thing you need to do that'll help as well."

"What's that?" asked Harper

"Study," said Beka.

_Time: CY 10087 - AD Jan 5164 _

_Location: Holyoke spaceport_

"Look's like you did well," said Beka when Trance and Harper entered the common room

"Piece of cake, Boss," said Harper smiling so widely he was in danger of splitting his head in half. "A new guild apprentice would've passed the written test, and I could've passed the practical while wearing a blindfold and one hand tied behind my back."

"It really was easy, Beka," added Trance. "Those relaxation techniques Rev showed us really worked."

"Just make sure you remember them when you take the real test," said Beka. "Otherwise we'll all be learning how mudfeet live."

_Time: CY 10087 - AD Feb 5164_

_Location: Bathsheba space port exam center_

Trance sat down at the test console and looked at the first question presented to her

_ That's easy. Breathing, bleeding, then broken bones_

_ Of course you can safely lower air pressure if you increase the percentage of oxygen so the partial pressure remains the same. We do it all the time on the Maru_

_ Signs of hypothermia in a Than? That's not part of my human/Nietzschean EMT. It must be what Harper calls an ace buster. I think I read something about that in one of the flexies Beka gave me. What was it?_

_ Peresid blood types? Why are they asking me about Peresid blood types?_

_..._

While Trance was struggling with her certification test, Harper was having difficulties of his own

_ Proton-anti proton annihilation products? Ask me a hard one_

_ Purpose of the quadrupole electric field? It confines the particles axially of course_

_ Nominal isp of a class B gas core engine? Huh? The Maru is a class C. Let's see, there was that chart that showed the power ratings of D through A engines..._

_ Sketch the coolant fluid cycle of a class B engine. Now wait just a minute here..._

_..._

When Trance and Harper arrived aboard the _Maru _after completing their tests they found Beka waiting for them in the common room On one of her visits to New Texas Beka had heard the phrase 'she looks like she was rode hard and put away wet." She hadn't bothered asking what the phrase meant, but looking at Trance and Harper she now had a pretty good idea.

"I think someone must have made a mistake, Boss," said Harper. "Most of the test was on class B power plants."

"And Peresids," said Trance. "The test asked more questions about Than then they did about humans."

"Yeah," agreed Harper. "I don't think we did very well."

Beka reached into a pocket of her flight suit and pulled out two small cards. "Then it's a good thing you have these," she said handing each one of her crew members a card.

"What the..?" said Harper as he looked at the card. "This says I'm certified as a journeyman class C engineer."

"Mine says I'm a journeyman human/Nietzschean shipboard emergency medical technician,"said Trance. "But how..."

"Look at the dates," said Beka

Harper took a closer look. "This says it was issued when we were on Holyoke." Comprehension dawned. "That practice exam you made us take. It wasn't a practice exam was it?"

"No," agreed Beka, "it was the real thing. I figured that if you thought it was a practice exam you'd do better than if you knew it was the real thing. Looks like I was right. You both passed with flying colors."

"We passed," yelled Harper. He gathered up Trance in his arms, and gave her a kiss that took her breath away

"Then what were the tests we took today?" asked Trance once she got her breath back.

"Those. Well I decided that since you were already qualified you might as well try to extend your qualifications. The results of the test you took came in before you got back to the Maru. Trance, not only are you qualified as a journeyman human/Nietzschean shipboard EMT, you're now a probationary apprentice multi-species shipboard EMT as well. Harper, you have a probationary certification as an apprentice class B power plant engineer in addition to your class C journeyman ticket. You'll both need under instruction practical experience and take a follow-up test on the areas you were weak in for final qualification, but once you do the two of you should be able to find work at any spaceport or ship you want to."

"Don't worry Beka," said Trance "We won't leave you even if we do have the certifications"

"Yeah, Boss," echoed Harper. "We like it here."

"You passed. That's the important thing," said Beka, deliberately not commenting on how good it made her feel to hear them say they liked it aboard the _Maru._ "So we'll pass the FTA safety exam. That's the good news. Now here's the bad news. Winnipeg Drift has changed their safety regs as well. Any ship registered out of the drift needs a certified environmental systems tech and a second pilot. I put the study guides you'll need in your berthing compartment. You have three months to get certified."


End file.
